Glasgow's Best Lunch: Review of Shawarma King after kebab award wins

As Shawarma King scooped the title of Best Kebab House in Scotland for the second year running last week, I knew there was only one place to go for my first contribution to our new campaign to find the best lunch in Glasgow.

And just like that, at around 1pm today I found myself amongst a crowd of like-minded lunch breakers who had gathered outside the King Street spot in search of their own award-worthy wraps.

Inside the tiny space, the team works like a well-oiled machine with one worker in particular flitting between slicing meat from multiple vertical rotisseries and stuffing homemade naans full of freshly cut salad at lightning speed.

Chat at the counter was scarce and as a first timer I didn’t feel there was much opportunity to discuss menu options, but thanks to recommendations from GT readers, I was confident in my choice of a regular-sized shawarma wrap for just £5.

A simple yes to salad and sauce seemed to be all that was required before heading back outside to wait for a total of 17 minutes before I was notified my order was ready, thanks to an efficient ticket system.

After a chilly walk back to the office it was finally time to put the nation’s finest to the test and I was feeling incredibly hopeful as I unwrapped my lunch which was generously sized as a regular portion.

So, did it live up to the hype?

It has to be said that although the chicken shawarma was thoroughly enjoyable, and great value for money, it didn’t quite bring the wow factor I was expecting.

It was hearty, filling and having spoken to the loyal Shawarma King fans in the Glasgow Times office I do wonder if I simply ordered wrong, but I would be lying if I said the experience had 100% lived up to my expectations.

The chicken was tasty and there was plenty of it, but it lacked the flavour that I had hoped for while watching the meat sizzling in the shop.

An unexpected star of the show was the naan bread itself which was beautifully soft and obviously freshly made which set it miles apart from any run-of-the-mill supermarket alternative.

Long after my last bite, however, I’m still not certain what sauce I was given despite having gone back to check photos of the menu. It was pleasant but had no real hit of either garlic or tahini.

All in all, I'd rate this as a satisfying lunchtime treat from a team who deserves nothing but respect for putting Glasgow on the map as the home of Scotland’s best kebabs for not one, but two years in a row.

My first visit certainly won’t be my last, and I’ll gladly take any recommendations for how to improve my next order.

What's the verdict?

Value for Money: 5/5 – In an age of rapidly rising meal deal prices, £5 for a freshly made wrap feels like a bargain.

Taste: 3/5 – Thoroughly enjoyable but missing a little bit of spice or zing from pickles and sauce which would have brought the whole wrap to life. Points for the naan which was clearly homemade.

Atmosphere: 3/5 – At peak lunchtime, the place was buzzing and the out of the way location really helps to make it feel like you’re in for something special.

Service: 3/5 – Two team members were rushed off their feet leaving little time for chat, but they made their way through orders swiftly and have clearly mastered handling a hungry lunchtime crowd.

Variety: 5/5 – Shawarma is offered with lamb, chicken, mince or mixed meat and a falafel alternative means that veggies don’t miss out on the experience.

Sides including chips or a fresh tabbouleh salad would no doubt bulk out an order enough to keep you full all day and I’d come back again to try a main course with salad or rice.

Overall score: 19/25

Got a suggestion for our next lunch review? Let us know where we should go in the comments below or email sarah.campbell@newsquest.co.uk.